Author
Topic: Display Problem/Solution? (Read 593 times)

OK, so here's the problem. My studio is in an attic and the walls are sloped. I have some nice figure shelves from my previous house but can't use them. I would really like to start displaying my figures again.

So I had this idea that if I use a rack type system, and have the figures held in by some sort of string, I could hang the whole piece on the wall. Like so...

This was my first prototype. That's clear picture hanging wire. If I can get out in the next day or so, I need to get some clear elastic. I'm not sure how this will look, but I have to try something...

My only warning is use something that won't leave a mark on the figures. They sometimes can almost bond to things that they're up against over very long periods of time and depending what the materials are we're talking about.

I'd think string would be fine, and white would be your best color choice. Plastics or rubbers I'd worry about more. Just a potential thought.

For the amount of work you're going throuh, I think you'd be better off building a reverse stairs type display on those angled walls. Just cut long, but thin strips of horizontal wood shelves, with a corresponding vertical slap that you can anchor to the wall. Something like this, where x represents the figures and the w represents the wall.

_x_|_w _x_|_w _x_|_w _x_|_w

You can a stair piece for stabilization and screw in anchors at 45 degrees.

________|___ \ |___ \ |___ \ |___|

Then you're not stuck wiring the figures or trapped with wherever you slotted them, and can fit more figures depending on the depth of your shelves. You could also just put up shelving on the back wall by the windows. You'd fit more figures that way too and not lose what looks like limited head space on the sides.

Guys, thanks for responding. JediJMan, I'd been thinking about your solution as well, but because of the angle of the ceiling, each shelf would have to extend almost 8 inches to allow for a display height of four inches. The issue then is that it starts pushing into an already small space, and I would only get one row of figures, and I want to display many more than that. But I am going to think about it.

This is a little radical as well, but what's behind the drywall? If its support beams, you might want to strip the drywall off and put in shelves between the beams. I did that in my basement. Would depend on the insulation and crap behind there.

yeah stripping drywall off only works on interior walls unfortunately.

I've been eying the drywall on my staircase (I have a small house) and thinking how nice it'd be to pull that down... My house is so old too when I usually open up a wall I gain a ton of room because it's slat/plaster not just drywall.

I did my insert shelf on an interior wall that gained a large unsightly hole in it. It's my spare room where I kept a bed available for my niece/nephew but also it's turning more into an office and display area than anything, slowly but surely.

What if you did something like this Mike:

A single-figure deep display cabinet of sorts. I'm trying to think how to describe my idea, but basically tons of little compartments for just ONE figure. A grid pattern... Not sure on figure depths you're looking at, but my idea is basically all these little boxes and you make acrylic/plexi-glass covers for each "coffin" they fit in. Make it so the lid (the acrylic) is held down by rare earth magnets (VERY strong but tiny). These SHOULD allow the figure to rest against the acrylic, but at the same time you see them and can get them down individually any time you want just by prying open the lid... You could stain the wood whatever you wanted. I think it would look freakishly cool actually. Almost artsy.

Think of like a clear coffee table with something encased in it (flowers or whatever. I see different styles of that type of coffee table)... But this would just be on a tiny scale, upside down facing obviously since it'd be mounted to the ceiling, and you'd be able to open up and access what's inside obviously. Pick a "standard size" for the figures, some pine boards and plywood... The most expensive part would be the plexi-glass lids for each slot the figure rests in. They'd rest on their face, but ultimately that shouldn't hurt anything.

Damn that makes me wish I had angled ceilings in an upper room just to see how that looks! It'd be so weird, but so cool.

One of my first thoughts was to make a sort of plexiglass "sleeve" that the figures could be dropped into and, like your idea, rest against the glass. However, all figures would have to be posed vintage style with nothing extended out in front of them. No one could hold a light saber.

Ah ok, you want something more dynamic for posing purposes... Yeah that won't fly that. It'd be freakishly cool though. Like stargazing action figures when you have people up to your collection room, haha.